This Sub-$30,000 Driver's Car Shootout Is Gran Turismo in Real Life

As much as we love seeing the latest Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and McLaren's screaming around the track, we're also frank with ourselves: not many of us will get the chance to actually own one of these supercars.

Fortunately, other sporty and fun options exist that are a fraction of the price. Like the sort of cars you'd buy at the beginning of Gran Turismo when you have no money to your name whatsoever. Autocar brings the 2015 Mazda Miata, the Mini Cooper S JCW, the Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy, and the Toyota GT 86 to the track to test them out. Sure, they don't have the face-melting horsepower numbers, but these are situations where the engines don't outrun the chassis.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

But beyond the numbers lies the subjective category of the fun factor: which puts the biggest smile on your face as you're throwing it into corners? See which car Autocar crowns king.